Portable computer users often find the need to take advantage of the telecommunications functions that are available through their computers. These features allow such useful tasks as checking office e-mail, faxing a document, or transferring a file. A convenment method of accessing these features while away from a standard telephone outlet is the use of a wireless telephone. Many specialized cables and circuit boards currently exist that allow a wireless telephone to interface with the communications port of a portable computer. In cellular data transmission, strong reception and transmission of a cellular signal is essential to proper communications.
To maximize the reception and transmission of a cellular signal, the antenna of a wireless telephone should to be oriented in essentially the vertical position. This permits a more efficient transmission and reception of the cellular signal and therefore more rellable data transmission from a computer. Currently, there are no known devices that conveniently support a wireless telephone upright while using a portable computer so the antenna remains in the vertical position. Consequently, most portable computer users rest the wireless telephone in a horizontal position while the telephone interfaces with the computer's communications port. This leads to inefficient reception and transmission on the cellular network, thereby increasing data transmission time or making such transmissions impossible.
Additionally, portable computer users often find themselves operating their computers in limited amounts of space, such as in their car, on a bus or a train. Because of space limitations, finding a convenient place to rest the wireless telephone while it is hooked up to a portable computer would be very advantageous.
Patents relating to supporting telephones are U.S. Pat. No. 5,295,649, dated Mar. 22, 1994 to R. Lee, U.S. Pat. No. 3,582,574, dated Jun. 1, 1971 to M. Grau, and U.S. Pat. No. 2,863,954, dated Dec. 9, 1958 to H. Renneker. While these patents all relate to supporting telephone receivers, none describe a device to be used to hold a portable telephone in a vertical position next to a portable computer.
The Lee patent discloses a support for a one-piece telephone that attaches to a hospital bed. The support is composed of a single piece of plastic designed to hold an angled, one-piece telephone over the rails of a hospital bed. This device only works with telephones of specific shapes, and can only be used on a set of rails, such as those found on hospital beds. No method was available to attach such a device to a portable computer. Also, the Lee device was designed to store telephones when not in use.
In the Grau and Renneker patents, telephone handset supports are disclosed for supporting the handset on a user's shoulder for stable handsfree operation of the telephone. There is no mechanism discussed that allows vertical support of the telephone. The only disclosure is for support on the human shoulder, and not on an external device such as a portable computer.
Other patents have related to cellular telephone supports. Examples of some patents are U.S. Pat. No. 5,131,036, dated Jul. 14, 1992 to R. Dunchock, U.S. Pat. No. 5,253,292, dated Oct. 12, 1993 to E. Fluder and U.S. Pat. No. 4,961,223, dated Oct. 2, 1990 to B. Sutton. None of these patents are directed to mounting a wireless telephone in a vertical position on a portable computer.
The Dunchock patent discloses a telephone supporting device that mounts on an automobile center console. This supporting device was designed so that it may be mounted without the use of screws or bolts. Because of this feature, it was also easily removed from the center console. However, this device is specific to an automobile center console and cannot be used on a portable computer. Also, this supporting device does not support the telephone in the vertical position, and is not designed to support the wireless telephone while in use.
In the Fluder patent, a cellular telephone carrier assembly was disclosed that had a clipping mechanism to attach to articles such as clothing. A frame attached to the clipping mechanism to secure the telephone to the clip. This frame was contoured to the shape of the cellular telephone, and therefore differed for each telephone design. Also, the bulk added by the frame made this design less portable and more costly. A simple, less bulky attachment mechanism is needed that can support the telephone in the vertical position.
The Sutton patent Gescribed a device that is similar to devices in the Grau and Renneker patents above in that it disclosed a device to allow or stable handsfree operation of a telephone using a shoulder support. However, the Sutton product is designed for use with cellular telephones. In the Sutton patent, there is no disclosure of a mechanism to allow vertical support of a telephone. The only disclosure is for support on the human shoulder, and not on an external device such as a portable computer.
While several telephone support devices are available in the prior art, none aglow vertical support of a wireless telephone onto a portable computer. None of the prior art is designed to specifically attach to a portable computer. Consequently, what is needed in the art is a simple technique for computer users to attach their wireless telephones to portable computers, while maintaining the antenna in a vertical position. Also, a small, low-profile design would advantageously provide maximum portability and low cost.